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Associated Press

The usual festive mood of Eid ul-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan has been subdued in Indonesia this year as people grapple with soaring prices for food, clothing and essential goods.
Consumer spending ahead of the biggest religious holiday for Muslims, which was celebrated on Sunday in Indonesia, has declined compared to the previous year, with a predicted slowdown in cash circulation due to fewer travellers.
Each year in Indonesia, nearly three-quarters of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country travel for the annual homecoming known locally as mudik that is always welcomed with excitement.
People pour out of major cities to return to villages to celebrate the holiday with prayers, feasts and family gatherings. Flights are overbooked and anxious relatives weighed down with boxes of gifts form long queues at bus and train stations for the journey.
But this year the Transportation Ministry said 146 million people travelled for Eid, a 24 per cent drop from last year’s 194 million travellers.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry projects that money circulation during Eid will reach 137.97 trillion rupiah (US$8.33 billion), down from 157.3 trillion last year. The weakening purchasing power is also reflected in Bank Indonesia’s Consumer Confidence Index which dipped to 126.4 in February from 127.2 in January.
Bhima Yudistira, executive director of the Centre for Economic and Law Studies, or Celios, said those trends indicated the economy was under strain, driven by economic hardship, coupled with currency depreciation and mass lay-offs in manufacturing.
“These have weakened both corporate earnings and workers’ incomes that suppress consumer spending,” Yudistira said, adding he “expects a less vibrant festive season”.

He said the festive spirit had been stifled by harsh economic realities, as soaring prices and dwindling incomes forced residents to prioritise survival over celebration.
Traditionally household consumption is a key driver of Indonesia’s gross domestic product. It contributed over 50 per cent to the economy last year, helping push annual growth to 5.11 per cent. However, consumer spending in 2025 was expected to be more subdued, Yudistira said.
Despite the downturn, the government remains optimistic that the Ramadan and Eid momentum will support economic growth in the first quarter of 2025.
“Eid usually boosts the economy through increased spending,” Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said ahead of the Islamic holiday.
The government recently introduced incentives to stimulate economic activity, including airfare and toll road fee discounts, nationwide online shopping events, direct cash help for 16 million households, electricity bill reductions for low-consumption customers and tax exemptions for labour-intensive sectors.
“With these programmes in place, the government hopes to sustain consumer spending and support economic stability,” Hartarto said.
The situation has also affected Endang Trisilowati, a mother of four, who said her family had to scale down their festivities budget.
“Honestly, the economic hardship is affecting us,” Trisilowati said. She described how she used to cook different dishes every Eid and invite neighbours, but now she can only afford a simple meal for her family.
“Many have resorted to just finding a way to eat on that festivity, but the spirit is low,” she said.

In India, Muslims are marking the celebration of Eid with special prayers, family gatherings and festive meals.
The holiday comes as the minority community faces vilification by hardline Hindu nationalists. Muslim groups are also protesting against a proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to change laws governing Muslim land endowments.
The government says it wants to weed out corruption and mismanagement in hundreds of thousands of Muslim land endowments. But Muslim groups say the proposal pending approval in India’s parliament is discriminatory.
Muslims, who comprise 14 per cent of India’s 1.4 billion population, are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation.
Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party launched a nationwide initiative called Saugat-e-Modi, or “Modi’s gift”, during Ramadan that is expected to provide food and clothes to more than 3 million underprivileged Muslims to celebrate Eid.
In New Delhi, thousands assembled in the Jama Masjid, one of the country’s largest mosques, to offer Eid prayers. Families came together early on Monday morning and many people shared hugs and wishes.
“This is a day of giving and receiving love. Even if you meet an enemy, meet them with love today,” said 18-year-old student Mohammed Nooruddin.


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Eid celebrations in Indonesia and India face economic and political challenges

A balloon vendor waits for customers at the site where Indonesian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Jakarta on March 31. Photo: AFP

People prepare before they participate in the Eid al-Fitr praying at Sunda Kelapa Port in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 31. Photo: Xinhua

People pray during Eid-al-Fitr, at Hazratbal shrine, in Srinagar, India. Photo: dpa

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Muslims break their fast during the first day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

A worker arranges trays of eggs at a supermarket in Jakarta on Monday. Items such as eggs, shallots, cooking oil and rice have seen significant increases ahead of Ramadan. Photo: EPA-EFE

Textile factory workers gather as they listen to a farewell speech during the mass lay-offs at Sritex in Sukoharjo, Central Java, on February 28. Photo: AFP

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Volunteer models wearing suits filled with discarded food hold up placards urging the public to reduce food wastage during the launch of MySaveFood’s #BazirRamadan campaign in Kuala Lumpur last week. Photo: MySaveFood


Volunteer models wearing suits made from clear plastic pockets filled with food waste walk down the runway at the launch of the #BazirRamadan campaign in Kuala Lumpur last week. Photo: MySaveFood

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Eid ul-Fitr in Indonesia sees subdued celebrations due to soaring prices and economic strain, while Indian Muslims face political challenges amid festivities


Eid ul-Fitr in Indonesia sees subdued celebrations due to soaring prices and economic strain, while Indian Muslims face political challenges amid festivities.


India

Ramadan

Religion

Eid celebrations in Indonesia and India face economic and political challenges

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Eid ul-Fitr in Indonesia sees subdued celebrations due to soaring prices and economic strain, while Indian Muslims face political challenges amid festivities

Eid ul-Fitr in Indonesia sees subdued celebrations due to soaring prices and economic strain, while Indian Muslims face political challenges amid festivities